Have you ever found yourself in the audience, captivated by an incredibly inspirational speaker? Do you remember the surge of emotions as they stirred positivity and painted vivid pictures of success and happiness in your mind?
"I AM POWERFUL! I CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING I SET MY MIND TO!" you proclaimed while basking in the collective energy of the room.
After leaving that speech, you were ready to conquer the world. You were determined to cast aside your bad habits and seize life by the horns! From that point forward, you believed that everything would change for you.
But how long did this newfound motivation last? An hour? A day? Maybe a week or even a month? When you returned to your regular routine on a mundane Monday, you may have started the week with optimism, feeling that things were different now. You even took action on a few things you had been procrastinating.
Yet, by the week's end, you found yourself slipping back into the same old routine and bad habits, reverting to your former self.
What happened? Why didn't this motivation endure? Why couldn't you experience that same sense of empowerment every day of your life?
The answer lies in the fact that external motivation is fleeting. When the source of motivation is right in front of you, you can draw inspiration from it. However, when that source disappears, it takes that spark with it.
The only way to maintain that heightened state of performance is to become your own motivation every day. You must transform your higher self into your personal motivational speaker and cultivate the ability to summon that motivation daily.
Don't get me wrong; I adore watching and listening to motivational speakers, movies, videos, books, and audios as much as, if not more than, the next person. But these serve as reminders to me that when the video ends, I still need to be my own motivation.
So, how can you achieve this? The solution lies in the ongoing dialogue within your mind, a conversation that continues silently throughout the day. It's the voice that constantly operates in the background, shaped by the mental programming you've received since birth and your efforts to manage that programming.
This programming might tell you that you're not good enough, that you're someone who doesn't eat healthily or enjoy exercising. It may suggest that you're safe and content in your vices, and achieving greater success would require sacrificing too much of your identity. Change, it insists, is uncomfortable and frightening.
But what if this inner voice became your personal motivational coach, encouraging you to feel alive during workouts, relish the effects of healthy food, and recognize your boundless capacity for love, strength, and success?
What if you could alter the daily dialogue taking place in your mind?
Wouldn't that enhance your ability to achieve your fitness goals, or any other goals for that matter? Absolutely!
You can reshape that inner conversation. You don't have to be the same person today as you were yesterday.
Many of us are trapped in our minds, caught in a repetitive, egocentric cycle known to scientists as the Default Mode Network (DMN). I encourage you to explore this concept further; it's the continuous chatter that occurs in your brain when you're not deliberately focused on anything specific. It's the voice in your head that tells you that you're not smart enough, that you're insecure and undeserving of your desires. This voice keeps you ensnared in fear and anger.
Try listening to this voice consciously sometime. Observe it without attaching to the thoughts. It's like listening to a five-year-old prattle on about nonsense.
Once you can objectively listen to this voice, you'll gain insight into how absurd it can be at times and how it has been influencing your life.
Here's where it gets fascinating: that part of you that listens to the inner chatter, the part that can become the observer of your thoughts, that is your higher self. That's the part you can train to be your own motivational coach.
How do you do that? One effective technique involves combining mindful meditation with affirmations.
Mindful meditation enables you to disconnect from the Default Mode Network and increase coherence throughout your brain. Essentially, mindful meditation involves focusing all your attention on one thing, typically your breath, or a specific aspect of your breath, like your chest, belly, or throat.
To get started, get comfortable, close your eyes, and concentrate your entire attention on your breath. When other thoughts intrude, as they invariably will, especially initially, don't judge them or allow them to evoke emotions; instead, abruptly interrupt your train of thought and remind yourself to refocus on your breath with a phrase like "back to breath" or "be here now."
Each time you manage to redirect your mind from wandering and regain focus on your breath is akin to completing a set in a workout.
Initially, it may be easier said than done, but with practice, you'll improve. Trust me; the effort is well worth it. Start with brief 10-minute sessions and gradually increase the duration as your mental agility develops.
Once you can elevate yourself to your higher self, it's time to instill positive motivational thoughts into your mind. Follow your meditation with "I am" and "I love" affirmations. Declare to yourself that you embody all the qualities you aspire to possess and that you derive pleasure from the things you know will enhance your life.
Make sure your affirmations are framed in a positive context, avoiding negative phrases like "I never" or "I hate."
State these affirmations with conviction and energy, gradually convincing yourself of their truth. Infuse them with love and inspiration as you recite them.
Make this practice a part of your morning routine, commencing each day with this technique.
Congratulations! Now you are your very own motivational speaker.